Dhaka: A mobile court on Wednesday fined a chips manufacturing factory Tk 100,000 under the Safe Food Act, 2013 after detecting multiple food safety and hygiene violations during an inspection in Sylhet.

According to United News of Bangladesh, the drive was conducted at Suman Food Products, located near the Telibazar Bypass in the Sylhet Metropolitan area, under the leadership of Assistant Commissioner Md Parvez of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office, Sylhet. The inspection revealed a series of irregularities in the factory’s chips production process, raising serious concerns about the safety and quality of the food products being manufactured.

The violations uncovered during the inspection included the use of burnt cooking oil and substandard black salt in food preparation. Additionally, the factory was found to be storing salt in open sacks under unhygienic conditions. Inspectors also discovered that large quantities of chips were being produced and marketed using counterfeit labels, all in an unsanitary environment.

Further investigation revealed that the factory premises were dirty and poorly maintained. The establishment lacked a valid trade licence and other necessary approvals, which further compounded the severity of the infractions. Workers were observed handling and packaging chips with bare hands, with several food handlers having long and unclean fingernails. Food products were also found to be stored directly on the floor, violating basic food safety protocols.

Considering the offences, the mobile court imposed a cash fine of Tk 100,000 on the establishment under Section 39 of the Safe Food Act, 2013. The operation was coordinated by Syed Sarfaraz Hossain, Safe Food Officer of the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority (BFSA), Sylhet Metropolitan. Officials of the BFSA, Sylhet Metropolitan, along with a team from the police, were present during the drive, ensuring the enforcement of food safety regulations.